Rabi sowing crosses 625 lh
Double-digit increase
in wheat, coarse cereals, rice acreage
Central Water Commission on Thursday, 120 major reservoirs in the country have a cumulative storage of 130.28 billion cubic metre (BCM) of water, nearly 53 per cent more than 85.04 BCM in tha same week last year.Pakistan should seize opportunity to learn from China's scientific advancement: Pakistani scientist Attaur Rehman
Xinhua
Pakistan should send graduate and post-graduate
students to study applied science at Chinese universities to acquire scientific
knowledge and learn from the research China has done over the years, acclaimed
Pakistani scientist Atta-ur-Rahman said.
China is an emerging power and it has already
become one of the world's leading countries in some fields of science like
nanotechnology and artificial intelligence. Pakistan's good relations with
China provide it a golden opportunity to send its aspiring students to learn
science at Chinese universities to get equipped with modern scientific
knowledge.
"When the students return to Pakistan
after completing advanced learning in China, Pakistan can get benefit from
their expertise by hiring them at significant posts in colleges, universities
and laboratories," said the professor at the International Center for
Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) of the University of Karachi.
"It will not only provide the scientists a
platform to conduct further research, but also give them a chance to teach
advanced sciences to other students, and the whole process will gradually set
the base of scientific studies on modern grounds in the country," Rahman
added.
"I always suggest that Pakistan should
start taking benefit from China right now so that Pakistani students and
researchers can grow with China in the field of science."
An alumnus of King's College of Britain's
University of Cambridge from where he received his PhD in organic chemistry in
1968, Rahman has won lots of awards in Pakistan including the highest national
award Nishan-e-Imtiaz for his services to the country in the field of science,
apart from a number of other international awards.
He is expected to receive the China
International Science and Technology Cooperation Award in January for
contributions he has made to China. Rahman considers it a great honor to be
selected to receive the prestigious award from the Chinese government and
credits the research on traditional Chinese medicine and in other fields, which
he did with Chinese scientists and companies, for his selection for the award.
"I also have a number of international
co-publications with Chinese scientists. Many Chinese scientists and
pharmaceutical companies have visited Pakistan to conduct research in the
ICCBS. By all these research and publications, I have made a small effort to
promote Chinese science in the world."
The professor is also the head of Pakistani
Government's task force on science and technology. The task force is aimed at
making the country standout in the world in "specific and targeted
fields."
"Initially we have identified five areas
including education, agriculture, minerals, information technology, and
linkages of innovation with society which will focus on engineering and
emerging sciences. Two new universities are also being established to give
education of applied science."
Development budget of the country's science and
technology has increased six-fold this year to encourage innovation, he said,
adding that one of the main focuses of the Pakistani government is to change
the direction of the country's economy from agricultural economy to knowledge
and science economy.
"China will be a great help for Pakistan
to achieve the target and for that purpose we are forming 20 centers of
excellence in various universities of the country with the help of China,"
the professor said. These centers will include artificial intelligence in
health sciences, hybrid seed production, virology, nanotechnology, railways
engineering, agricultural food processing, mineral extraction and processing
among others.
Many top Chinese institutes and universities
including Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, China National Rice
Research Institute and Wuhan Institute of Virology among others will cooperate
with Pakistan.
India adds
tests to rice exports to European Union
January
9, 2020
NEW DELHI: India has tightened
the review standards for rice exports into the European Union.
The trade and industry ministry
Thursday amended the export coverage for Basmati and non-Basmati rice
from’free’ to outbound shipments subject to certificates issued by Export
Inspection Council (EIC).
“Export to EU member countries
and European nations specifically Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland allowed
subject to issuance of certificate of review by EIC/Export Inspection Agency,”
the ministry said in a telling.
India’s rice export to Europe
dropped around 40percent in 2018-19 over the dilemma of maximum residue level
(MRL) is pesticides as well as the marketplace is very likely to shrink further
this season since rice samples has neglected the testing.
“There have been pesticide
problems with rice exports. So, these extra checks are put in place,” said an
official at the know of these particulars.
01 parts per million (ppm) from 1 ppm for many plants in 2018. After 2018, the export of basmati from India into EU diminished 38. 35percent and 9 percent in 2018-19 and 2019-20 (April-September) respectively, primarily because of the pesticide residue difficulty.
01 parts per million (ppm) from 1 ppm for many plants in 2018. After 2018, the export of basmati from India into EU diminished 38. 35percent and 9 percent in 2018-19 and 2019-20 (April-September) respectively, primarily because of the pesticide residue difficulty.
According to the notification,
the certification of review by export review bureaus will be compulsory for
exports to staying European nations with effect from
But, the official stated that
exporters are resisting the transfer since the extra checks would raise costs
and contribute to instruction.
EIC is the official export
certificate body of India that ensures quality and security of merchandise
exported from India.
Rice Legislative
Priorities in a Divided, Distracted Congress
By Jamison Cruce
WASHINGTON, DC -- Members of
Congress returned to Washington this week to officially kick off the second
session of the 116th Congress. While
progress and outcomes will undoubtedly slow down the closer we get to November
elections, and potentially sooner, progress could be made on some key rice
industry issues.
The U.S. rice industry has already
seen a win this year when the Senate Finance Committee passed the United
States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) out of committee by an overwhelmingly
bipartisan vote. While there are six
additional committees that will need to consider the agreement by a straight up
or down vote, it is highly anticipated that the agreement will pass the full
Senate and be signed by President Donald Trump in the coming weeks. USA Rice continues to push for the swift
approval of USMCA in the Senate in hopes that ratification of the agreement
will bring much needed market stability for U.S.-grown rice.
Next week, Chinese officials will be
in Washington to sign Phase I of an agreement with the U.S. that is expected to
pave the way toward normalizing trade with China as well as increasing
purchases of U.S. agricultural products, including rice.
While the USMCA and an agreement
with China are within sight, USMCA brings no additional benefits to the rice
industry from those we enjoyed under NAFTA and full implementation of the China
deal may take time. That's why USA Rice
continues to push the Administration to issue the much needed third tranche of
assistance from the 2019 Market Facilitation Program (MFP). USA Rice members would like to see a return
of normalcy in the marketplace, but USA Rice is certainly not ruling out the
need for the Administration to establish MFP for 2020.
Several items across a range of high
profile topics will be considered by Congress this year, including the
impeachment trial in the Senate, as well as a plethora of healthcare,
infrastructure, and defense and national security proposals. Agriculture-related legislation could also
take shape including reauthorization for the Commodities Future Trading Commission
(CFTC) and reauthorization of the Grain Standards Act. USA Rice will be on the forefront monitoring
these along with any number of new legislative proposals that will be
introduced.
USA Rice will also continue to
advocate for needed funding through the budget and appropriations
processes. As with any Presidential
election year, many observers believe that the summer will bring a halt to any
legislative progress for the remainder of 2020.
Among topics that may receive
attention via introduced legislation include an agricultural labor bill that
passed the House last year with reports the Senate will soon begin working on a
bill of its own. Many climate change
proposals have been introduced, mainly in the House, and it's expected several
more could be proposed by Members of Congress and committees with jurisdiction,
especially given the attention to the subject by candidates vying for the
Democratic presidential nomination.
Between now and the first week of
March, many things election-related should start to unfold, specifically in the
Democratic race for the White House and some battleground states. There are 34 Senate seats, 12 Democratic and
22 Republican, and all 435 House seats up for re-election this year.
Thirty-five House members have already
announced they will not be seeking re-election to their respective seats. Six Democrats and 22 Republicans are retiring
and seven are seeking election in the presidential, gubernatorial, or U.S.
Senate races. Notable retirements from
Congress include Representative Mike Conaway (R-TX), Ranking Member of the
House Agriculture Committee, and Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), chair of the
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Nutrition. Currently, the only rice state or district
Member of Congress retiring is Representative Pete Olson (R-TX), who represents
Texas' 22nd Congressional District.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
USA Rice will continue to monitor
and advocate for positive policies and outcomes for the industry throughout
2020, seeking to maintain those programs that are beneficial while eyeing new
opportunities for advancement.
WASDE Report
Released
WASHINGTON, DC -- This month's outlook for
2019/20 U.S. rice is for lower supplies, increased use, and declining ending
stocks. U.S. 2019/20 all rice production is 184.7 million cwt, down 3.3 million
from the previous estimate. Medium and short grain production is lowered 1.8
million cwt and long-grain is reduced 1.5 million. The all rice average yield
is estimated at 7,471 pounds per acre, down 116 pounds from the prior estimate.
Rice imports are raised 500,000 cwt to a record 30.1 million on strong imports
of aromatics from Asia. All rice domestic and residual use is raised 2 million
cwt on higher-than-expected usage for August-November as implied by the NASS
Rice Stocks report. Projected all rice exports are increased 500,000 cwt to 98
million reflecting a 1-million-cwt increase for long grain and a 500,000-cwt
decrease for medium- and short-grain. The long grain increase is due to a fast
export pace to date, while combined medium and short grain shipments have been
slow. With use rising and supplies falling, projected 2019/20 ending stocks are
lowered 5.3 million cwt to 28.6 million. The projected 2019/20 all rice
season-average farm price is raised $0.20 per cwt to $13.20.
Global 2019/20 rice supplies are
down fractionally to 671.1 million tons based on a 1.7-million-ton production
decline being mostly offset by an increase in world beginning stocks. The
increase in stocks is almost entirely due to final government data from India.
The production decline is mostly caused by a 2-million-ton cut to Thailand's
crop as the severe drought in the region has reduced both planted area and
yield prospects. Partly offsetting is a 400,000-ton increase in the Bangladesh
crop. World consumption increased slightly and global trade is down
fractionally. For trade, Thailand's exports are lowered 900,000 tons on the
smaller crop. However, this reduction is partially offset by a 400,000-ton increase
for Pakistan, and a 300,000-ton increase for India. Global ending stocks are
lowered 800,000 tons to 177.1 million but remain record high.
Prohibition is
Over!
Americans
have a special place in their heart, perhaps more accurately in their liver,
for the resurgence of the Speakeasy. The Prohibition, a constitutional ban on
the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcohol that lasted
from 1920 to 1933 were in fact 13 years of pushback against a government policy
of temperance that was rejected wholly by the masses.
Friday 10 January 2020, 03:00PM
Quilted
leather luxury at Speakeasy Yacht Club
The national constitutional ban
on alcohol had a direct correlation with organised crime as just prior to the
ban, the saloon was a staple of American society. The desire to imbibe did not
simply vanish with the stroke of the pen that ushered in the amendment and the
absence of absinthe would swiftly be filled and distilled.
Smugglers began importing
distilled libations, homemade cocktails came into the lexicon, and many a
patron found their way to a secret new shop they could partake and please their
parched palate for the spirit they sought.
The shops that sprang up as a result of these temperance policies became known as a Speakeasy, aptly named as a softly spoken tone was expected to be adopted when describing the illicit activity taking place in such an establishment. By 1925, there were anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 speakeasy clubs in New York City alone suggests “Teaching With Documents: The Volstead Act and Related Prohibition Documents” in the United States National Archives. For over a decade, Americans endured crime waves, illness from unregulated distillations, and many other ills as a result of this policy but all that was about to end.
The shops that sprang up as a result of these temperance policies became known as a Speakeasy, aptly named as a softly spoken tone was expected to be adopted when describing the illicit activity taking place in such an establishment. By 1925, there were anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 speakeasy clubs in New York City alone suggests “Teaching With Documents: The Volstead Act and Related Prohibition Documents” in the United States National Archives. For over a decade, Americans endured crime waves, illness from unregulated distillations, and many other ills as a result of this policy but all that was about to end.
December 5, 1933 the grand
temperance experiment failed and the repeal of the 21st Amendment took place.
Ever since, Americans have donned the regalia of the Roaring Twenties, and
enjoy a Repeal Party at a local Speakeasy throwback.
People in Phuket have the
opportunity to enjoy one of the island’s newest. The Speakeasy Yacht Club
Restaurant is a welcomed addition to Royal Phuket Marina’s boardwalk with the
boats and marina backdrop making any date night quite impressive. This
establishment gives all the thrills of the classic Roaring Twenties feel with a
modern touch of international culinary delights.
Boasting a visually stunning
décor that is something right out of the era with long quilted leather
chesterfield sofas and Edison bulbs illuminating the room. If you prefer a
view, you can enjoy your meal with a waterside candle-lit view of the Royal Phuket
Marina and all the beautiful yachts and amazing villas that make this area one
of Phuket’s most treasured.
Every Friday, Speakeasy shifts
between Indian and Mexican delicacies. On Indian cuisine night, head chef Rom
Bahadur Rayamajhi, who hails from Nepal and is the personal chef of RPM’s CEO
and founder Gulu Lalvani, treats diners to an assortment of dishes. Chef
Rayamajhi’s credentials are long. He was the head chef for AKA SAKA Restaurant,
Defence Colony, New Delhi and has been the Executive Chef at Royal Phuket
Marina since 2012.
One challenge many people have
with Indian cuisine is navigating the menu. While they love Indian food, the
menu can be quite intimidating as there are rarely pictures or explanations of
what items are what, so one tends to rely on fate to decide what will be for
dinner. That intimidation is removed at Speakeasy Yacht Club as the most
popular dishes are offered with ease and simplicity. Butter Chicken with its
deep sunset red hue, roasted Gobi with a crisp perfect texture, sensationally
seasoned basmati rice and fluffy nan bread to soak it all in. Speakeasy Yacht
Club selects quintessential regional dishes from the north and south of India
and simplifies it just right for the night.
LT Foods bets
big on Japanese rice-based snacks to woo millennials
Meenakshi Verma Ambwani New Delhi | Updated on January
08, 2020 Published on January 08, 2020
The firm is in JV with Japanese firm Kameda
Seika
LT Foods, known for its Daawat
and Royal basmati rice brands, is strengthening its play in the packaged food
business by foraying into the premium snacks segment through its joint-venture
partnership with Japan-based Kameda Seika.
The joint venture company called
Daawat-Kameda (India) Pvt Ltd is set to launch its rice-based gourmet snacks
brand ‘Kari
Kari’ in key cities in the country.
The two companies had announced
their joint venture in 2017 and have since been test marketing the products in
Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Mumbai. The JV company has now set up a manufacturing
facility at Sonipat (Haryana) to manufacture ‘Kari Kari’ range of products
for a full-scale commercial launch in India.
Vijay Kumar Arora, Chairman &
Managing Director, LT Foods, said, “This move is in line with our strategy to
diversify into value-added rice-based products. We see huge potential in the
premium and healthy snacks segment, which is growing in the range of 22-25 per
cent year-on-year.”
Investment details
Arora said that the two partners
have made commitments of about ₹70 crore for the JV venture, out
of which investments worth about ₹25 crore have already been made
on setting up the plant and the balance amount will be invested over the next
five years on future expansion. Jun Kono, Director, Daawat Kameda (India) Pvt
Ltd and Overseas Manager, Kameda Seika, said, “We believe we have the
opportunity to create a new category of roasted rice-based healthy snacks to
appeal to Indian consumer base. We believe India has the potential to become
one of our largest international markets in the long term.”
Distribution strategy
Kari Kari range has been launched in four variants priced at ₹ 99 for 135-gm pack and ₹50 for 60-gm pack.
Ritesh Arora, Head of India, Far
East and New Busines, LT Foods, said that the company will focus on making the
products available in modern trade stores and premium general trade stores in
metros and top cities, besides the e-commerce platform over the next two years.
Published
on January 08, 2020
From NASA scientists tackling agrarian issue to
artists driving change through their work here are the top social stories this
week
This week, we featured inspiring stories of people providing food
and relief materials to help victims of Australian bushfires and organisations
who are bringing about a change and making a difference in the lives of others.
By Team SS 11th Jan 2020 0:00 / 4:04 1 clap +0 India is
an agricultural country, and agriculture it is the main source of
livelihood for a majority of the population. Despite this, the sector is facing
trouble due to inadequate policies and support - be it in terms of insurance or
the water resources required. That’s where Hyderabad-based Niruthi comes into
the picture. The organisation is helping farmers with accurate climate data for
better farm growth. On the other hand, several volunteers have come forward to
rescue animals in the ongoing Australian bushfires.
Among them is an Indian
Sikh couple providing free meals to those in need. Social Story brings you
several such inspiring stories of people and organistaitons addressing various
issues. Back in 2017, Divya Ramachandran founded a sustainable startup called
Skrap with the aim to help organisations, offices, gatherings, and events in
Mumbai to implement zero waste and eco-friendly solutions. It has also
conducted over 40 waste-free events so far. According to Divya, Skrap has an
eight-step process to organise a zero-waste event. It installs colour-coded
dustbins for wet and dry waste for waste segregation at source. The startup
also looks after the training of housekeeping staff and food stall vendors to
maintain the waste management process. The team has also tied up with various
NGOs to expand its ground operations. Started by former NASA Earth scientists,
Hyderabad-based Niruthi is solving India’s farming issue Based out of
Hyderabad, Niruthi, an agritech startup, is working towards offering solutions
for monitoring, modelling, and forecasting crop conditions through
location-specific weather, crop health, and crop yields across India. Cristina
Milesi, CTO and Malikarjun Kunkunuri, CEO NIruhi Climate and Ecosystem Founded
in 2011 by Ramakrishna Nemani and Cristina Milesi, former Earth scientists at
NASA, Niruthi provides field-level information needed by farmers to better manage
their crops.
The startup has also deployed its technology to support the crop
insurance industry in India as well as in Vietnam, covering a variety of crops,
including soybean, rice, bajra, jowar, gram, cotton, and wheat, and climatic
conditions – serving over one million farmers. Amid raging bushfires in
Australia, Indian restaurant owners come to the rescue with free food Desi
Grill, an Indian restaurant in East Gippsland in Victoria, Australia, has been
providing free food to the firefighters and victims of bushfires. Apart from
this, Sikh volunteers also helped restaurant owners to disburse food wherever
it was needed. Volunteers along with the couple (Image: Facebook) Run by
Kanwaljit Singh and his wife Kamaljit Kaur, the couple felt it was their duty
to serve the community. The couple managed to cook and serve up to 1,000 people
in a day. They have stocked up rice, flour, and lentils, which the couple feel
should be sufficient for the next week or so.
Married at 15 and widowed at 20, this single mother is uplifting
the lives of 200 families in Kerala Sifiya Haneef got married at the age of 15
when most girls her age were making career choices, and indulging in fun
activities and games. Just when she was getting accustomed to the
responsibilities of managing a household and her new life, she lost her husband
in a mishap. Interacting with the locals Despite all the odds, she established
Chithal, a charitable trust to help sick mothers, elderly folk, distressed
widows, and cancer patients. Over the last six years, she has aided more than
200 families by providing them with food, clothing, and medicines. Meet the 5
artists who are depicting social issues and driving change through their
artwork For ages, artists have inspired change. Art helps us express
deep-rooted social issues, and its different interpretations and responses have
helped people drive change for centuries. From using powerful imagery, colours,
and hues, artists can show you what’s happening in the society and make us
ponder on several issues like women’s safety, political violence, farmers
suicide, and climate change. Here are top five artists of today who are using
art to lead social change in India. (Edited by Megha Reddy) Also Read This
district in Chhattisgarh makes flowerpots from recycled plastic bottles
MIT warns foreign students of
possible visits from ICE
By COLLIN BINKLEY Associated
Press
JANUARY 10, 2020 —
12:20PM
BOSTON —
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is warning international students
that federal immigration officials may visit their work sites to verify that
their employment is directly related to their studies.School officials sent a
memo to faculty on Thursday saying the Department of Homeland Security has been
making site visits to employers of foreign students in science, technology,
engineering and math fields. The school is notifying students separately and
telling them what to expect from the visits.
MIT
spokeswoman Kimberly Allen said the memo was not prompted by any visit to the
institute.
Immigration
officials announced last year they would begin workplace visits for some
students participating in the federal Optional Practical Training program. The
program allows those with student visas to take temporary jobs related to their
academic studies. Students in STEM fields can get their visas extended by two
years, while others can get one-year extensions.
MIT joins
other universities cautioning students about the possibility of the visits.
Schools including the University of Pennsylvania and Duke University issued
similar notices last August.
A Homeland
Security website says the visits are meant to "reduce the potential for
abuses" of the visa extension. It says employers will be given notice of
visits 48 hours in advance unless the visit is tied to a complaint or other
evidence of noncompliance.
The visits
are carried out by the department's Immigration and Customs Enforcement unit
and are meant to verify that students are engaged in relevant "work-based
learning experiences" and that employers have the resources necessary to
supervise them, according to the department's website.
An ICE
spokeswoman did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
The Trump
administration has placed foreign researchers under sharper scrutiny as it
tries to curb intellectual property theft by China and other governments. The
Justice Department has asked universities to watch out for suspicious behavior,
saying college campuses are increasingly being targeted in efforts to steal
technology and research.
In
December, a Chinese medical student was arrested at Boston's Logan Airport
after authorities said he tried to smuggle cancer research material out of the
country. Zaosong Zheng, 29, had earned a visa sponsored by Harvard University.
The FBI said he may have been acting on behalf of the Chinese government.
In 2018,
Chinese national Weiqiang Zhang was sentenced to 10 years in prison for
conspiring to steal proprietary rice seeds developed in the U.S. and giving
them to visitors from China. He previously received a doctorate at Louisiana
State University.
The Trump
administration's efforts to crack down on research theft have raised tensions
on some college campuses, which often rely on foreign talent and encourage
international exchange.
Last June,
MIT President L. Rafael Reif warned that the fight against espionage threatened
to create a "toxic atmosphere of unfounded suspicion and fear." He
said some Chinese students and researchers on campus reported feeling
"unfairly scrutinized, stigmatized and on edge" because of their
Chinese ethnicity.
The
American Council on Education, which represents dozens of university
presidents, has encouraged schools to work with the FBI to prevent theft. In a
letter to its members last year, the group said the FBI was "eager to
develop a collaborative relationship with higher education that protects
national and economic security without impinging on academic freedom or
institutional autonomy."
The
Optional Practical Training program has attracted growing numbers of students
in recent years, with many students choosing to get professional experience
before they start their studies or after they graduate.
The most
recent data from ICE show that in 2017, more than 328,000 international
students were authorized to work through the program, including nearly 90,000
approved to work in STEM fields.
China Focus: Chinese
living longer, healthier thanks to sci-tech achievements
BY DENIS BEDOYA ON JANUARY 10,
2020NEWS
BEIJING, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) — Chinese
people are enjoying better and healthier lives thanks to the country’s sci-tech
achievements, studies highlighted at China’s annual research awards show.In
China, where less than 8 percent of the world’s arable land feeds one fifth of
the world’s people, food security is a priority for many researchers. Three
research achievements on rice were recognized in the 2017 National Science and
Technology Awards.
Li Jiayang and his researchers – one
of the three teams – found the balance of yield and quality in new hybrid rice
varieties.
The cultivation of hybrid rice has
spread across China for more than four decades. But while yields have
increased, many varieties have failed the taste and cooking tests until
recently.Li’s team identified the major gene that regulates yield and quality
and used molecular breeding technologies to combine high yield and good taste
in a new rice variety.
“Good characteristics can be
identified in molecular breeding,” Li said. They plan to work on “tailored”
hybrid rice varieties in future.Huang Sanwen, of the Chinese Academy of
Agricultural Sciences, won last year’s State Natural Science Award for breeding
high-yield cucumbers.With advanced genome sequencing technology, Huang’s team
mapped the genetic code of cucumbers, shedding light on their origin and
evolution.
Professor Li Luming, of Tsinghua
University, won first prize in the State Scientific and Technological Progress
Award of 2018, for his research on brain pacemakers.
His team made brain pacemakers
cheaper, smaller, lighter and more durable, benefiting China’s 2 million
Parkinson’s disease sufferers.Lung cancer is China’s leading deadly cancer.
Surgical resection is the key to treat lung cancer in the early and middle
stages.
He Jianxing, head of the First
Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, created a minimally
invasive lung cancer treatment system through technological innovation.
Patients can usually get out of bed within hours of the surgery and leave
hospital after three days.
Progress in medical science has
greatly improved the health level of Chinese people, with average life
expectancy rising from 35 in 1949 to 77 in 2018.In the global drive to curb
climate change, China has been consistently delivering on its environmental
pledges.From 2015 to 2017, the government highlighted in its work reports
ultra-low emissions from coal-burning power plants.
Gao Xiang and his team developed an
ultra-low emissions system to filter pollutants from coal-fired flue gas
quickly and cheaply, resulting in cleaner air. It has been successfully trialed
in a power plant in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province.
The system can simultaneously remove
multi-pollutants, reducing emissions from a coal-fired power plant to a level
even lower than that of a natural-gas-burning power plant.
In January 2018, Gao and his team
were awarded first prize in the National Technology Invention Award. The
Ministry of Science and Technology said the system had drastically reduced
pollutants emitted by coal-fired power plants nationwide.
Haryana govt
detects ₹90 crore fraud in paddy
procurement
Shortage of
42,500 tonnes detected at 1,207 mills; money to be recovered from millers
CHANDIGARH Updated: Jan 08, 2020 22:36 IST
Hindustan Times, Chandigarh
After two inspections in more than
two months’ time, the Haryana government on Wednesday admitted that a fraud of
at least ₹90 crore has been detected in the
paddy procurement process.
Farmers had cried foul after rice
millers claimed that they had procured more paddy than the 64-lakh-tonnes
target allotted to them this season.
Farmers had said that the millers
bought cheap paddy from neighbouring states as their produce was still in the
mandis (grain markets).
Stating that the formal inspection
and physical verification, which was subsequent to informal verification, was
now over, food and civil supplies additional chief secretary PK Das said more
than 42,500 tonnes of paddy was found to be short as per the records and stocks
of the rice mills.
“This shortage meant that either
the millers had charged from government on some bogus paddy purchase or sold
the rice milled by them to someone else other than the government procurement
agencies,” he added.
67kg rice is milled from a quintal
of paddy.
FRAUD AND METHODOLOGY
After paddy farmers raised hue and
cry, the state government had sent 300 teams of officials to all 1,304 rice
mills in the state for physical verification.
The teams verified the mills’
purchase from farmers, produce given to FCI or other agencies, paddy stocked at
all sites of the mills as well as the rice milled by them.
Das said shortage of 42,500 tonnes
of paddy has been detected at 1,207 mills.
The maximum shortage of more than
13,000 tonnes was found in 284 mills in Karnal — the home district of chief
minister Manohar Lal Khattar — followed by Kurukshetra where the shortage at
236 mills was over 10,000 tonnes.
At 185 mills in Ambala district,
the shortage was of about 9,400 tonnes, at 168 mills in Fatehabad, it was over
2,200 tonnes and at 115 mills in Kaithal, it was over 1,400 tonnes, Das said.
ACTION TAKEN
Das said while show-cause notices
were being issued to all defaulting mills, seeking reply from them in three to
four days, ₹90 crore would be charged from
them.
“I would also discuss with the
superiors regarding blacklisting them. It would also be decided whether to
register criminal cases against them or not,” he added.
THE WAY FORWARD
The department would now undertake
the very first leg of the procurement exercise — transportation of paddy from
mandis to mills — with registered commission agents and videograph the entire
process. This was earlier left to the millers.
“The trucks deployed for
transportation of paddy will be equipped with GPS so that their movement can be
monitored,” Das said.
INLD allege involvement of officials
Reacting to the development, Indian
National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Chautala said the millers could not have
committed the scam without conniving with government officials. Demanding a
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in the matter, he also alleged that
the farmers were cheated on the pretext of moisture and paid about ₹200 per quintal less than the MSP
of ₹1,835.
600 rice farmers to
commence dry season farming in FCT
By Abubakar Sadiq Isah | Published Date Jan 10, 2020 3:54 AM The
Chairman of the FCT chapter of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN),
Alhaji Abubakar Dahiru Zuba, has disclosed that about 600 rice farmers have
been mobilised to commence dry season farming across the territory. Zuba, while
speaking during an interview with
our reporter yesterday in Abuja, said the 600 rice farmers would be cultivating
five hectares of land each, which, he said, could produce 300,000 tonnes of
rice after harvest. ADVERTISEMENT He said the association has already concluded
arrangements to give out farm inputs such as fertilizers, sprayers, herbicides
and chemicals to each of the farmers to enable them apply it on their farms
after clearing. ADVERTISEMENT HOW NIGERIAN MEN CAN NOW OVERCOME TERRIBLE
BEDROOM PERFORMANCE AND KICK START A WONDERFUL SEXUAL EXPERIENCE IN THE NEW
YEAR “In fact, as I speak, we have started mobilizing some of the rice farmers for the dry season farming, and
even me as I am talking laborers are on my farm clearing the farm,” he said.
According to him, the association has procured improved seedling (Para 44) for
cultivation, stressing that it gives higher yields and is delectable in terms
of consumption. The RIFAN chairman, however, said the major challenge facing
the association was farmers defaulting in paying back their loans.
speaking during an interview with
our reporter yesterday in Abuja, said the 600 rice farmers would be cultivating
five hectares of land each, which, he said, could produce 300,000 tonnes of
rice after harvest. ADVERTISEMENT He said the association has already concluded
arrangements to give out farm inputs such as fertilizers, sprayers, herbicides
and chemicals to each of the farmers to enable them apply it on their farms
after clearing. ADVERTISEMENT HOW NIGERIAN MEN CAN NOW OVERCOME TERRIBLE
BEDROOM PERFORMANCE AND KICK START A WONDERFUL SEXUAL EXPERIENCE IN THE NEW
YEAR “In fact, as I speak, we have started mobilizing some of the rice farmers for the dry season farming, and
even me as I am talking laborers are on my farm clearing the farm,” he said.
According to him, the association has procured improved seedling (Para 44) for
cultivation, stressing that it gives higher yields and is delectable in terms
of consumption. The RIFAN chairman, however, said the major challenge facing
the association was farmers defaulting in paying back their loans.
Rice farmers warn FG against
fertiliser importation
Chima Azubuike, Gombe
Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Gombe State chapter, has
urged the Federal Government to halt fertilizer importation plans from Morocco
and work towards reviving existing fertilizer blending plants in the country.
The Secretary of the association, Kalagar Lubo, said this on
Wednesday in an interview with our correspondent.
He said instead of the government talking about importing
fertilizer, it would be best if moribund fertiliser blending plants across the
country were revived.
He said, “We wish to advise the Federal Government to make
internal fertilizer blending plants functional. Even if we (farmers) will
suffer for one year, government should revive fertiliser blending plants.
“Let them encourage and develop the internal blending plants. A
lot of advantages lie in establishing fertilizer blending plants here. The
government will monitor production and supplies to farmers; farmers can enjoy
subsidy and control is easy. “
He further advised the government to establish its own blending
plants.
“In Gombe, we have the blending plant but the raw materials are
not there. If they (government) can go ahead to provide the raw materials and
produce the same kind of fertilizer, then there is no need to import.”
Lubo added that the government would now have to adjust and
align with the policies of other countries if it relied on importation.
Rabi sowing
crosses 625 lakh hectares
Double-digit increase in wheat, coarse
cereals, rice acreage
With wheat, coarse cereals and
rice registering double-digit increase in acreage over the previous season, the
total rabi sown area till the end of the week climbed to 625 lakh hectares
(lh), nearly 8 per cent more than 578.47 lh planted in the corresponding week
last year.
According to latest rabi sowing
data released by the Agriculture Ministry on Friday, wheat, which accounts for
more than half the sown area, moved to 326.46 lh, because of an increase in
planting in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. While MP planted
wheat in an additional area of 20 lh, Gujarat and Rajasthan in nearly 5 lh each
and Maharashtra 4 lh, over the same period last year. The area under under
wheat during the same week in the previous year was 293.81 lh.
The area under pulses cultivation
too went up by nearly 5 per cent to 151.26 lh, as against 145.42 planted in the
same week last year. Gram, which recorded an increase of over 8 per cent to top
102 lh, accounted for this increase. There was substantial increase in gram
cultivation in Maharashtra and Rajasthan, which is enough to offset the drop in
gram acreage in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
Better jowar sowing in
Maharashtra, the State which accounted for more than a third of total coarse
cereals area in the country, pushed up the total coarse cereals planting by
nearly 13 per cent to over 51 lh. Maharastra increased its coarse cereals area
by 53 per cent to 19 lh as against 12.4 lh in the same week last year.
With Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh
– major mustard-growing States – maintaining more or less similar area under
the major rabi oil crop, the area under oilseeds remained at 77.68 lh, a tad
lower than 78.43 lh in the corresponding week last year.
There is a 12 per cent increase
in winter rice sowing with the total area going up to 18.55 lh, because of
increased planting reported from Tamil Nadu and Telangana. At 9.9 lh, Tamil
Nadu accounted for more than 50 per cent of the total rice area.
Water storage in reservoirs
across the country continues to be good. According to a bulletin released by
the Central Water Commission on Thursday, 120 major reservoirs in the country
have a cumulative storage of 130.28 billion cubic metre (BCM) of water, nearly
53 per cent more than 85.04 BCM in tha same week last year.
Published
on January 10, 2020
Asia Rice-Drought threatens Thai
crop, Bangladesh braces for cold wave
Karthika Suresh Namboothiri
January 9, 2020
8:30 PM EST
8:30 PM EST
BENGALURU — Rice export prices in major Asian hubs held steady
this week but a multi-month drought drove expectations of a rise in Thai rates,
while a cold snap threatened crops in Bangladesh.
Thailand’s benchmark 5 percent broken rice prices were quoted at
$425-$435 on Thursday, largely unchanged from two weeks earlier, but was still
the highest level since June 2018.
Although demand was flat, prices for the Thai grade, which were
consistently trading higher than the Vietnamese variety throughout 2019,
remained high well into 2020 due to the drought threatening supply and the
continuous appreciation of the baht, traders said.
Thailand’s dry season started in November and usually lasts
through April, although authorities said it could go on through June this year.
A drought has been declared in 14 provinces in the central, northern and
northeastern farming regions.
In top producer India, rice export prices remained steady due to
weak demand from African countries.
Prices of the 5 percent broken parboiled variety were unchanged
from last week, around $362-$366 per tonne.
“Exports demand is subdued. Supplies are rising from the
summer-sown crop,” said an exporter based in Kakinada in the southern state of
Andhra Pradesh.
Neighboring Bangladesh braced for a cold wave, which could have an
impact on crops, including rice, said Mizanur Rahman, a senior official at the
agricultural ministry.
“The seedbeds of rice have dried out due to extreme cold,” Rahman
said, adding a prolonged cold spell would have devastating effects on the crop.
The weather office said the cold snap, accompanied by chilly winds
and drizzling, was likely to continue for a few more days.
In Vietnam, rates for 5% broken rice eased to $355 a tonne on
Thursday, from $360 a week earlier.
“Demand remains weak this week and trade has been very slow,” a
trader based in Ho Chi Minh City said.
Preliminary shipping data showed 138,650 tonnes of rice is to be
loaded at Ho Chi Minh City port between Jan. 1 and Jan. 23, with most of the
grain bound for Iraq and West Africa.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade this week added 47 companies to
a list of eligible rice exporters, raising the number of licensed Vietnamese
exporters to 182, a government statement said.
The move is aimed at “facilitating rice exports, promoting rice
production in a sustainable manner and enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnamese
rice,” the statement added. (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Ruma Paul
in Dhaka, Khanh Vu in Hanoi and Patpicha Tanakasempipat in Bangkok; Editing by
Maju Samuel)
FACTBOX-A lot of soy,
a little rice: China's historical U.S. agricultural purchases
JANUARY 10, 2020 / 2:12 AM
Jan 9 (Reuters) - The United States
and China are due to sign a Phase 1 trade deal on Jan. 15 that U.S. officials
have said will include a vow by China to buy an additional $32 billion in U.S.
farm goods over the next two years.China has not confirmed Trump’s goal of $40
billion to $50 billion of annual sales, which represents a near doubling of its
purchases before the trade war began in 2018. Recent large Chinese purchases of
Brazilian soybeans and a pair of unexpected policy moves by Beijing have dimmed
U.S. hopes of reaching the lofty imports figure.
Soybeans made up more than half of
China’s agriculture purchases from the United States in 2017, at about $12.2
billion.Below are agricultural goods China has bought from the United States in
the past:
SOYBEANS China bought about 60% of
all exports of U.S. soybeans, the main U.S. export crop by value, before the
trade war. Since the current marketing year started on Sept. 1, China has
purchased about 11.1 million tonnes of soybeans worth some $4 billion,
according to government data.
SORGHUM China began buying U.S.
sorghum, which it uses for production of baiju liquor and animal feed, in 2008.
Its purchases peaked at $2.115 billion in 2015, but fell by more than half to
$1.030 billion in 2016. From January to November 2019, it bought $139.094
million worth.
PORK China has increased pork
imports to record levels after a fatal pig disease, African swine fever,
devastated its herd. U.S. pork exports to China and Hong Kong were up 49% in
value at $1.18 billion from January to November 2019. The shipments were above
full-year 2018 exports of $852.5 million and topped a prior full-year record of
$1.08 billion in 2017.
BEEF China officially resumed U.S.
beef imports in 2017 after a 14-year ban but maintains restrictions on
shipments. Exports of U.S. beef to China and Hong Kong from January to November
2019 were down 19% from a year earlier at $746.4 million. China and Hong Kong
imported a record $1 billion in U.S. beef in 2018.
CORN China was a top-five buyer of
U.S. corn from 2011 to 2013 but has not been a major buyer since as domestic
production increased. In 2017, it bought $142.036 million worth, and from
January to November 2019 it bought $52.857 million.
RICE China, the world’s largest rice
producer, typically buys small amounts of U.S. rice. Purchases peaked at $5.311
million in 2010. In 2017, they totaled $759,000 from January to November 2019,
U.S. rice exports to China have been worth just $165,000.
POULTRY China in November lifted a
nearly five-year ban on U.S. poultry that had been imposed in January 2015
because of a U.S. outbreak of avian flu. The market bought $500 million worth
of American poultry products in 2013.
WHEAT China is the world’s No. 2
wheat producer after the European Union and holds roughly half of all global
wheat inventories. In recent years it has been the No. 3 or 4 buyer of U.S.
hard red spring wheat, a high-protein variety used to blend and improve the
quality of lesser grades of wheat.
EQUIPMENT Some analysts had speculated
that equipment might be counted in an agriculture component of an eventual
trade deal. Farm machinery exports last year through October were a little over
$200 million, according to data from U.S. Census Bureau. Beijing’s biggest
purchase in the past two decades was in 2015 when it imported about $430
million of machines.
Reporting by Tom Polansek, Julie
Ingwersen, Rajesh Kumar; Singh, Mark Weinraub and Karl Plume; Editing by
Cynthia Osterman
Collections
from rice tariffs hit P12.3B in 2019
Inquirer Business /
03:52 PM January 10, 2020
The
government collected at least P12.3 billion in tariffs from rice importation in
2019, exceeding the P10-billion mark in funds to be spent on programs for
farmers hurt by lifting of import restrictions, the Department of Finance (DOF)
said.
In a
statement on Friday (Jan. 10), the DOF said the additional revenues from the
implementation of the Rice Tariffication law since March 2019 surpassed the
amount to be allotted to the annual Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund
(RCEF).
RCEF was
aimed at modernizing the agriculture sector and equipping farmers with modern
technologies, easier access to cheap credit, high-quality seeds, and new
skills.
Under the
law rice imported from Asean countries would be charged 35 percent tariff. If
the imports do not exceed 350,000 metric tons and are from countries outside
Asean, a 40 percent tariff is charged.
Imports that
exceed 350,000 metric tons and are from non-Asean countries are charged 180
percent tariff.
Funds in
excess of P10 billion, or the amount allotted for RCEF, would be used to give
cash aid to farmers in areas where prices of unhusked rice fell sharply as a
result of cheaper imports.
The
Department of Agriculture (DA) had launched the rice farmer financial
assistance (RFFA) program which gives cash grants of P5,000 each to an
estimated 600,000 farmers hurt by lower farm gate prices.
The DA is
also offering a zero-interest credit program for rice farmers and low-interest
loans for local government units which they can use to buy local crops “at
above prevailing farm gate prices,” said Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez
III.
Freer
importation of rice was expected to also narrow subsidies to the state-run
National Food Authority (NFA), which had been regulating importation prior to
the Rice Tariffication law.
The law
stripped the NFA of commercial functions and regulatory powers. What’s left of
its mandate is to make sure there’s buffer stock of rice for emergencies.
Finance
Undersecretary Gil S. Beltran, DOF chief economist, said subsidies to the NFA
had reached P187 billion from 2005 to 2015 or an average of P19 billion per
year.
Beltran said
the NFA had been losing P11 billion a year prior to the Rice Tariffication law.
Now, the government earned P11 billion in “less than a year, a complete
reversal of the average of P11 billion it has been losing every year,” he said.
Aside from
giving the government additional revenue, the law also helped bring down rice
retail prices by P8 per kilogram, which helped bring down inflation to the 2-4
percent range.
https://business.inquirer.net/286881/collections-from-rice-tariffs-hit-p12-3b-in-2019#ixzz6AiN5fdxa
Rice farmers warn FG against
fertiliser importation
Chima Azubuike, Gombe
Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, Gombe State chapter, has
urged the Federal Government to halt fertilizer importation plans from Morocco
and work towards reviving existing fertilizer blending plants in the country.
The Secretary of the association, Kalagar Lubo, said this on
Wednesday in an interview with our correspondent.
He said instead of the government talking about importing
fertilizer, it would be best if moribund fertiliser blending plants across the
country were revived.
He said, “We wish to advise the Federal Government to make
internal fertilizer blending plants functional. Even if we (farmers) will
suffer for one year, government should revive fertiliser blending plants.
“Let them encourage and develop the internal blending plants. A
lot of advantages lie in establishing fertilizer blending plants here. The
government will monitor production and supplies to farmers; farmers can enjoy
subsidy and control is easy. “
He further advised the government to establish its own blending
plants.
“In Gombe, we have the blending plant but the raw materials are
not there. If they (government) can go ahead to provide the raw materials and
produce the same kind of fertilizer, then there is no need to import.”
Lubo added that the government would now have to adjust and
align with the policies of other countries if it relied on importation.
Rabi sowing
crosses 625 lakh hectares
Double-digit increase in wheat, coarse
cereals, rice acreage
With wheat, coarse cereals and
rice registering double-digit increase in acreage over the previous season, the
total rabi sown area till the end of the week climbed to 625 lakh hectares
(lh), nearly 8 per cent more than 578.47 lh planted in the corresponding week
last year.
According to latest rabi sowing
data released by the Agriculture Ministry on Friday, wheat, which accounts for
more than half the sown area, moved to 326.46 lh, because of an increase in
planting in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. While MP planted
wheat in an additional area of 20 lh, Gujarat and Rajasthan in nearly 5 lh each
and Maharashtra 4 lh, over the same period last year. The area under under
wheat during the same week in the previous year was 293.81 lh.
The area under pulses cultivation
too went up by nearly 5 per cent to 151.26 lh, as against 145.42 planted in the
same week last year. Gram, which recorded an increase of over 8 per cent to top
102 lh, accounted for this increase. There was substantial increase in gram
cultivation in Maharashtra and Rajasthan, which is enough to offset the drop in
gram acreage in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
Better jowar sowing in
Maharashtra, the State which accounted for more than a third of total coarse
cereals area in the country, pushed up the total coarse cereals planting by
nearly 13 per cent to over 51 lh. Maharastra increased its coarse cereals area
by 53 per cent to 19 lh as against 12.4 lh in the same week last year.
With Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh
– major mustard-growing States – maintaining more or less similar area under
the major rabi oil crop, the area under oilseeds remained at 77.68 lh, a tad
lower than 78.43 lh in the corresponding week last year.
There is a 12 per cent increase
in winter rice sowing with the total area going up to 18.55 lh, because of
increased planting reported from Tamil Nadu and Telangana. At 9.9 lh, Tamil
Nadu accounted for more than 50 per cent of the total rice area.
Water storage in reservoirs
across the country continues to be good. According to a bulletin released by
the Central Water Commission on Thursday, 120 major reservoirs in the country
have a cumulative storage of 130.28 billion cubic metre (BCM) of water, nearly
53 per cent more than 85.04 BCM in tha same week last year.
Published
on January 10, 2020
Asia Rice-Drought threatens Thai
crop, Bangladesh braces for cold wave
Karthika Suresh Namboothiri
January 9, 2020
8:30 PM EST
8:30 PM EST
BENGALURU — Rice export prices in major Asian hubs held steady
this week but a multi-month drought drove expectations of a rise in Thai rates,
while a cold snap threatened crops in Bangladesh.
Thailand’s benchmark 5 percent broken rice prices were quoted at
$425-$435 on Thursday, largely unchanged from two weeks earlier, but was still
the highest level since June 2018.
Although demand was flat, prices for the Thai grade, which were
consistently trading higher than the Vietnamese variety throughout 2019,
remained high well into 2020 due to the drought threatening supply and the
continuous appreciation of the baht, traders said.
Thailand’s dry season started in November and usually lasts
through April, although authorities said it could go on through June this year.
A drought has been declared in 14 provinces in the central, northern and
northeastern farming regions.
In top producer India, rice export prices remained steady due to
weak demand from African countries.
Prices of the 5 percent broken parboiled variety were unchanged
from last week, around $362-$366 per tonne.
“Exports demand is subdued. Supplies are rising from the
summer-sown crop,” said an exporter based in Kakinada in the southern state of
Andhra Pradesh.
Neighboring Bangladesh braced for a cold wave, which could have an
impact on crops, including rice, said Mizanur Rahman, a senior official at the
agricultural ministry.
“The seedbeds of rice have dried out due to extreme cold,” Rahman
said, adding a prolonged cold spell would have devastating effects on the crop.
The weather office said the cold snap, accompanied by chilly winds
and drizzling, was likely to continue for a few more days.
In Vietnam, rates for 5% broken rice eased to $355 a tonne on
Thursday, from $360 a week earlier.
“Demand remains weak this week and trade has been very slow,” a
trader based in Ho Chi Minh City said.
Preliminary shipping data showed 138,650 tonnes of rice is to be
loaded at Ho Chi Minh City port between Jan. 1 and Jan. 23, with most of the
grain bound for Iraq and West Africa.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade this week added 47 companies to
a list of eligible rice exporters, raising the number of licensed Vietnamese
exporters to 182, a government statement said.
The move is aimed at “facilitating rice exports, promoting rice
production in a sustainable manner and enhancing the competitiveness of Vietnamese
rice,” the statement added. (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai, Ruma Paul
in Dhaka, Khanh Vu in Hanoi and Patpicha Tanakasempipat in Bangkok; Editing by
Maju Samuel)
FACTBOX-A lot of soy,
a little rice: China's historical U.S. agricultural purchases
JANUARY 10, 2020 / 2:12 AM
Jan 9 (Reuters) - The United States
and China are due to sign a Phase 1 trade deal on Jan. 15 that U.S. officials
have said will include a vow by China to buy an additional $32 billion in U.S.
farm goods over the next two years.China has not confirmed Trump’s goal of $40
billion to $50 billion of annual sales, which represents a near doubling of its
purchases before the trade war began in 2018. Recent large Chinese purchases of
Brazilian soybeans and a pair of unexpected policy moves by Beijing have dimmed
U.S. hopes of reaching the lofty imports figure.
Soybeans made up more than half of
China’s agriculture purchases from the United States in 2017, at about $12.2
billion.Below are agricultural goods China has bought from the United States in
the past:
SOYBEANS China bought about 60% of
all exports of U.S. soybeans, the main U.S. export crop by value, before the
trade war. Since the current marketing year started on Sept. 1, China has
purchased about 11.1 million tonnes of soybeans worth some $4 billion,
according to government data.
SORGHUM China began buying U.S.
sorghum, which it uses for production of baiju liquor and animal feed, in 2008.
Its purchases peaked at $2.115 billion in 2015, but fell by more than half to
$1.030 billion in 2016. From January to November 2019, it bought $139.094
million worth.
PORK China has increased pork
imports to record levels after a fatal pig disease, African swine fever,
devastated its herd. U.S. pork exports to China and Hong Kong were up 49% in
value at $1.18 billion from January to November 2019. The shipments were above
full-year 2018 exports of $852.5 million and topped a prior full-year record of
$1.08 billion in 2017.
BEEF China officially resumed U.S.
beef imports in 2017 after a 14-year ban but maintains restrictions on
shipments. Exports of U.S. beef to China and Hong Kong from January to November
2019 were down 19% from a year earlier at $746.4 million. China and Hong Kong
imported a record $1 billion in U.S. beef in 2018.
CORN China was a top-five buyer of
U.S. corn from 2011 to 2013 but has not been a major buyer since as domestic
production increased. In 2017, it bought $142.036 million worth, and from
January to November 2019 it bought $52.857 million.
RICE China, the world’s largest rice
producer, typically buys small amounts of U.S. rice. Purchases peaked at $5.311
million in 2010. In 2017, they totaled $759,000 from January to November 2019,
U.S. rice exports to China have been worth just $165,000.
POULTRY China in November lifted a
nearly five-year ban on U.S. poultry that had been imposed in January 2015
because of a U.S. outbreak of avian flu. The market bought $500 million worth
of American poultry products in 2013.
WHEAT China is the world’s No. 2
wheat producer after the European Union and holds roughly half of all global
wheat inventories. In recent years it has been the No. 3 or 4 buyer of U.S.
hard red spring wheat, a high-protein variety used to blend and improve the
quality of lesser grades of wheat.
EQUIPMENT Some analysts had speculated
that equipment might be counted in an agriculture component of an eventual
trade deal. Farm machinery exports last year through October were a little over
$200 million, according to data from U.S. Census Bureau. Beijing’s biggest
purchase in the past two decades was in 2015 when it imported about $430
million of machines.
Reporting by Tom Polansek, Julie
Ingwersen, Rajesh Kumar; Singh, Mark Weinraub and Karl Plume; Editing by
Cynthia Osterman
Collections
from rice tariffs hit P12.3B in 2019
By: Ben O. de Vera -
Reporter / @bendeveraINQ
Inquirer Business /
03:52 PM January 10, 2020
The
government collected at least P12.3 billion in tariffs from rice importation in
2019, exceeding the P10-billion mark in funds to be spent on programs for
farmers hurt by lifting of import restrictions, the Department of Finance (DOF)
said.
In a
statement on Friday (Jan. 10), the DOF said the additional revenues from the
implementation of the Rice Tariffication law since March 2019 surpassed the
amount to be allotted to the annual Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund
(RCEF).
RCEF was
aimed at modernizing the agriculture sector and equipping farmers with modern
technologies, easier access to cheap credit, high-quality seeds, and new
skills.
Under the
law rice imported from Asean countries would be charged 35 percent tariff. If
the imports do not exceed 350,000 metric tons and are from countries outside
Asean, a 40 percent tariff is charged.
Imports that
exceed 350,000 metric tons and are from non-Asean countries are charged 180
percent tariff.
Funds in
excess of P10 billion, or the amount allotted for RCEF, would be used to give
cash aid to farmers in areas where prices of unhusked rice fell sharply as a
result of cheaper imports.
The
Department of Agriculture (DA) had launched the rice farmer financial
assistance (RFFA) program which gives cash grants of P5,000 each to an
estimated 600,000 farmers hurt by lower farm gate prices.
The DA is
also offering a zero-interest credit program for rice farmers and low-interest
loans for local government units which they can use to buy local crops “at
above prevailing farm gate prices,” said Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez
III.
Freer
importation of rice was expected to also narrow subsidies to the state-run
National Food Authority (NFA), which had been regulating importation prior to
the Rice Tariffication law.
The law
stripped the NFA of commercial functions and regulatory powers. What’s left of
its mandate is to make sure there’s buffer stock of rice for emergencies.
Finance
Undersecretary Gil S. Beltran, DOF chief economist, said subsidies to the NFA
had reached P187 billion from 2005 to 2015 or an average of P19 billion per
year.
Beltran said
the NFA had been losing P11 billion a year prior to the Rice Tariffication law.
Now, the government earned P11 billion in “less than a year, a complete
reversal of the average of P11 billion it has been losing every year,” he said.
Aside from
giving the government additional revenue, the law also helped bring down rice
retail prices by P8 per kilogram, which helped bring down inflation to the 2-4
percent range.
SNES: STORE EXPANSION
CONTINUES ONLINE AND GLOBALLY
01/10/2020
NASDAQ:SNES
To accelerate growth in the domestic
market, SenesTech (NASDAQ:SNES) has launched an online store
(https://store.senestech.com) since mid-December 2019. While ContraPest is also
available through national and regional distributors, the online offering allows
the brand to reach the U.S. consumers located throughout the country.
Products offered online include bait
stations, control tanks and feeder trays in both 400 mL and 550 mL capacities.
The 550 mL tanks are priced at $35/tank (sold as a single case comprising of
eight tanks) and the 400 mL tanks are priced at $30/tank (sold as a single case
comprising of twelve tanks).
SenesTech has begun its drive to
expand in Southeast Asia by signing a distribution agreement with New Enterprises
Ltd for the marketing and sales of ContraPest in Singapore, Malaysia and
Indonesia. New Enterprises has agreed to cover the costs of regulatory
approval, marketing and importing costs.
(Source: Shutterstock)
Agricultural sector plays an
important role in economic development of SE Asian countries. Rat infestation
in SE Asia result in 10-20% reductions in rice yield. Chronic loss in rice
production caused by rat infestation is estimated to be about 15-17% in
Indonesia alone. According to a study conducted by National University of
Singapore, estimated the cost of rodenticides and loss incurred by non-native
rats to rice production to be about $2 billion in SE Asian countries.
Therefore, expansion into Southeast Asian markets is crucial.
Besides reducing the yield, rat
proximity to human food poses a serious health concern. Currently employed
rodent control strategies, including fumigation, electrocution, zapper traps,
glue boards, baits and poisons, are reactive rather than palliative. Despite
resorting to such efforts, rats continue to devour crops. Natural rodent
predators, including snakes, cats and birds of prey, have been effective
especially near grain-storage areas but pose new issues like killing non-target
animals and human health risk. We think one of the effective ways to control
breeding is using ContraPest. Once the community is convinced of its
effectiveness, it could become easier to implement SenesTech’s strategy across
affected regions in SE Asia on a broader scale.
Management has realized that there
was a real need for curbing rat population in SE Asia. Expansion in the region
could help maximize sales and drive repeat purchasing. SenesTech is making
small waves by rethinking the approach to minimize rats as well as making it
easy for consumers to purchase from their online store.
Commentary:
Innovation offers benefits for all
Source:
Xinhua| 2020-01-11 16:50:08|Editor: mingmei
BEIJING, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists and research
projects were honored Friday with national science awards in a high-profile
event to recognize the innovative spirit that is key to the country's future
development.
The Chinese government has prioritized innovation and decided in
2012 to take an innovation-driven development strategy in a bid to increase
production and boost the overall national strength.
Basic research, a fundamental source of innovation, has received
longer and more stable support, while the transformation of science and
technology achievements has been emphasized.
The country has accelerated the construction and improvement of
a national innovation system, allowing scientists more say on research choices
and encouraging enterprises to play a bigger role in R&D investment.
Painstaking efforts have resulted in great progress. The
research programs honored on Friday, including the invention of a highly
effective catalyst for drug production and a stem-cell treatment for lupus, are
among the long list of China's advances in recent years.
China's pursuit of innovation, largely relying on sci-tech
progress, has a clear reason: China will not go back to its old development
path of high energy-consumption, severe pollution and cheap labor.
China is striving to shift to middle and high-end manufacturing
industries, and it needs to upgrade technologies.
China pledges to cut its carbon emissions and return blue skies
and clean water to its people, and it needs solutions from science and
technology.
Almost every aspect of the lives and living standards of China's
1.4-billion people - stable economic growth, a better environment, safe food, new
medicines and fast transport - calls for innovation.
China has encouraged science and technology to solve its
development problems.
Take green development, for example. Chinese researchers have
won the national science award for developing a clean system to reduce
emissions from coal-fired power plants, as coal still accounts for 59 percent
of the national energy consumption.
At Friday's ceremony, scientists won awards for technologies
that could help detect pollutants from agricultural products, prevent water
pollution in paper-making and kill pests with green preparations.
Meanwhile, China has also brought great benefits to the world
with its technological achievements. Advanced technology and products from
China have played a key role in promoting sustainable development and improving
people's livelihood in the developing countries.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has provided more than 1.8
billion yuan (about 260 million U.S. dollars) for construction of science and
technology projects in association with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
since 2013, benefiting many Asian and African countries.
Chinese agriculture scientists have bred new rice varieties
named Green Super Rice with high and stable yields to help reduce hunger and
increase local farmers' incomes in developing Asian and African countries.
China has also opened its planned space station to international
payloads, and invited scientists around the world to participate in its future
missions to explore the moon, asteroids and comets.
China has been frank in showing the reasons for and goals of its
innovation drive. For those countries who adopt an open and inclusive attitude
as China does, they shall be rewarded with many a new opportunity through
scientific exchanges and cooperation with China.
Harvard and
MIT Receive $1.4 Million to Research Reforms to Indonesian Social Support
Programs
Tourists take photos of the John Harvard statue in front
of University Hall.
Photo: Jenny M. Lu
By Matteo N. Wong, Crimson Staff Writer
Harvard and MIT received $1.4
million from the United States Agency for International Development in December
to study and evaluate reforms to the government of Indonesia’s social support
programs.
Indonesia’s social protection
programs have come under scrutiny in recent years for issues with fraud. In
2012, Raskin, Indonesia’s largest social assistance program, had a $1.5 billion
budget to provide subsidized rice to the bottom 30 percent of income
distribution in Indonesia, which has a population of over 250 million,
according to the Jameel Poverty Action Lab. But for every 100 kilograms of rice
leaving a government warehouse, only 50 kg were delivered, according to a press
release from USAID spokesperson Tiara S. Barnes.
In 2016, the Indonesian government announced
that it would reform the way Raskin and five other social service programs
deliver aid by 2022, using monthly digital vouchers deposited directly into the
bank accounts of eligible households.
Harvard and MIT will be working
with USAID to evaluate these reforms, comparing delivery of social assistance
via electronic and traditional methods in 105 districts, according to the USAID
press release.
Rema N. Hanna, a Harvard Kennedy
School professor who chairs the International Development Area, is one of the
researchers who applied for and received the funding.
Hanna wrote in an email that the
transition from an in-kind transfer system like Raskin to digital food stamps
has many potential benefits. For instance, the current reforms could reduce
leakage of rice and improve its quality because citizens could go to any shop
to buy better rice or other nutritional foods, rather than relying on
government-distributed rice.
“But there are also risks,” Hanna
wrote. “There could be leakage if the cards do not get in the right hands. Or,
if there are not enough shops nearby that accept the cards, there may be little
choice where to buy. That could lead to hold-up problems, and higher prices.”
Hanna — who also serves as the
scientific director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab Southeast Asia
Office in Indonesia — wrote that the funding will help researchers travel into
the field and analyze data.
“Right now, we have conducted the
survey for government officials and are doing field visits. We are also deeply
engaged in the data analysis of the impacts on citizens, and hope to have
results soon,” Hanna wrote.
Harvard and MIT’s research will
help build evidence for scaling these reforms nationwide in Indonesia, and the
research could also help other governments interested in improving their social
assistance programs, Barnes wrote.
The award was given through the
USAID Development Innovation Ventures, a program that provides support to solve
social problems in countries where USAID operates.
“We are excited about the
partnership with the USAID DIV program,” Hanna wrote. “Research support to help
generate evidence on large-scale policies and programs in developing countries
is key if we want to know how to better design reform that can improve the
lives of the poor.”
—Staff writer Matteo N. Wong can be
reached at matteo.wong@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @matteo_wong.
Surge in low-quality rice, industry
losses if Japan climate change unchecked: research
(Mainichi Japan)
TOKYO -- If climate change continues at its present rate,
harvests of koshihikari, the main rice strain farmed in Japan, are expected to
yield around twice the ratio of poor-quality grains in the 2040s than they do
now, according to a research team with members from Ibaraki University and
other institutions.
The team's findings, which estimate that a consequent drop in
prices could bring losses to as high as 44.2 billion yen (around $404 million)
across the country, were published in a journal specializing in environmental
science.
If average daily temperatures during the about two-week-long
grain filling period after ears of rice emerge, reach 26 to 27 degrees Celsius
or more, the crop's starch content is reduced. This then leads to greater
numbers of grains with a white, cloudy appearance which sees them referred to
as "immature white grains."
Immature white grains are considered low-quality produce. If
rice grain inspections required by law find over 30% of the product to be of a
lower standard, then rice must be sold at a quality rating of 2 or lower,
depending on its appearance and other factors. There have also been suggestions
that a high proportion of immature white grains affects the taste of rice.
To arrive at its findings, the team put together a hypothesis in
which rice is cultivated across all of Japan. They then forecast the rate of
immature white grains' appearances per kilometer square.
Their results found that by the end of the 2020s, the rate of
occurrence would shift to an average of 6 to 7% nationally. Japan's average
August temperatures are projected to rise to a high of 27 degrees C in the
2040s if no strict measures are taken to stop climate change from continuing at
its current pace. Under those circumstances, the rate of immature white grains
would approximately double, rising to 12.6%.
Additionally, the team analyzed actual inspection results where
rates of immature white grains topped 16.9%, and hypothesized that the crop was
then given a quality rating of 2. Based on their theory, regions where the
average harvest of koshihikari is labeled second-rate or lower were limited
just to parts of areas concentrated in western Japan by the 2020s.
But by the 2040s the issue would spread widely, affecting large
swaths of eastern Japan -- especially coastal plain regions. Including
prefectures such as Niigata in central Japan, a traditional rice belt, the
ratio of low-quality produce areas would account for 30% or more of all rice
paddies across Japan. It is estimated that the consequent rise in low-quality
rice classifications would bring losses in the industry to 44.2 billion yen per
year, more than five times their current amount.
With the effects of climate change on the agriculture industry
already apparent, development of high-temperature-resistant strains of rice and
other schemes are already going ahead in various regions of Japan.
Yuji Masutomi, a member of the research team and an associate
professor of agricultural meteorology at Ibaraki University in the eastern
Japan prefecture of the same name said, "Some regions have a greater
tendency toward producing immature white grains, so it is important to choose
areas to prioritize preventative measures. We want our predictive results to be
effective for investigations into short- and mid-to-long-term
countermeasures."
(Japanese original by Ai Oba, Science & Environment News
Department)
Fund.
The STAR/Michael
Government collects P12.3 billion from rice tariffs
Varcas /File
In a statement, the DOF said Republic Act 11203 or the Rice
Tariffication Law generated P12.3 billion in cash revenues for the government
last year, exceeding the target of P10 billion for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement
Mary Grace Padin (The Philippine Star) -
January 11, 2020 - 12:00am
In Seven Months
MANILA, Philippines — The
government collected P12.3 billion in additional revenues from rice tariffs
last year, enabling the Department of Agriculture (DA) to provide additional
assistance to local rice farmers, the Department of Finance (DOF) said yesterday.
In a statement, the DOF said
Republic Act 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) generated P12.3 billion
in cash revenues for the government last year, exceeding the target of P10
billion for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
“In only seven months since it
was implemented, the RTL has already brought in cash revenues of
P12.3 billion as of December 31, 2019, which is beyond
the minimum amount of P10 billion earmarked yearly for the RCEF,” the DOF
said.
The Rice Tariffication Law, which
became effective starting March 5, eased the importation of rice in the
country by imposing tariffs in lieu of quantitative restrictions.
Under the law, tariffs collection
from rice imports will go to the P10 billion RCEF, which will be used to
provide cheap credit, high quality seeds, agricultural machinery and skills
training to rice farmers.
Finance Secretary Carlos
Dominguez said the excess funds from the collection would enable the government
to immediately extend direct aid to farmers.
This includes unconditional cash
grants under the Rice Farmer Financial Assistance (RFFA) program of the DA. The
program seeks to provide subsidies of P5,000 to 600,000 rice farmers
affected by lower farmgate prices.
This was launched in addition to
the credit programs of the government, including the zero-interest loan for
rice farmers and low-interest loan for local government units buying local
produce above prevailing farmgate prices.
According to the DOF, the
generation of revenues from rice imports was a complete reversal of the
previous rice trade regime, when the National Food Authority acted as the
regulator of rice imports and chief importer of the grain.
The DOF said the agency incurred
a total of P187 billion in tax subsidies from 2005 to 2015, or an average of
P19 billion a year.
Finance Undersecretary and chief
economist Gil Beltran also said that the NFA lost around P11 billion
annually before the law was enacted.
In addition to helping modernize
the agriculture sector, Dominguez said the Rice Tariffication Law helped
low-income households cope with inflation, given that rice accounts for 20
percent of their total consumption.
He said rice prices, following
the enactment of the law, was slashed by an average of P8 per kilo.
Citing data from the Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA), the DOF said the average retail price of rice in the fourth
week of November 2019 sunk to its lowest level in three years at P36.67
per kilogram.
The DOF said the law also brought
the March inflation rate down to 3.3 percent from 4.4 percent in January and
3.8 percent in February before gradually easing further to a low of 0.8 percent
in October.
A lot of soy, a little rice:
China’s historical U.S. agricultural purchases
By
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Published: January
10, 2020
Pork and beef are among the ag goods
China has purchased from the U.S. in the past. China has increased pork imports
to record levels after a fatal pig disease, African swine fever, devastated its
herd. | File photo
China has not confirmed Trump’s goal of $40 billion to $50
billion of annual sales, which represents a near doubling of its purchases
before the trade war began in 2018. Recent large Chinese purchases of Brazilian
soybeans and a pair of unexpected policy moves by Beijing have dimmed U.S.
hopes of reaching the lofty imports figure.
Soybeans made up more than half of China’s agriculture purchases
from the United States in 2017, at about $12.2 billion.
Below are agricultural goods China has bought from the United
States in the past:
SOYBEANS China bought about 60 percent of all exports of U.S.
soybeans, the main U.S. export crop by value, before the trade war. Since the
current marketing year started on Sept. 1, China has purchased about 11.1
million tonnes of soybeans worth some $4 billion, according to government data.
SORGHUM China began buying U.S. sorghum, which it uses for
production of baiju liquor and animal feed, in 2008. Its purchases peaked at
$2.115 billion in 2015, but fell by more than half to $1.030 billion in 2016.
From January to November 2019, it bought $139.094 million worth.
PORK China has increased pork imports to record levels after a
fatal pig disease, African swine fever, devastated its herd. U.S. pork exports
to China and Hong Kong were up 49 percent in value at $1.18 billion from
January to November 2019. The shipments were above full-year 2018 exports of
$852.5 million and topped a prior full-year record of $1.08 billion in 2017.
BEEF China officially resumed U.S. beef imports in 2017 after a
14-year ban but maintains restrictions on shipments. Exports of U.S. beef to
China and Hong Kong from January to November 2019 were down 19 percent from a
year earlier at $746.4 million. China and Hong Kong imported a record $1 billion
in U.S. beef in 2018.
CORN China was a top-five buyer of U.S. corn from 2011 to 2013
but has not been a major buyer since as domestic production increased. In 2017,
it bought $142.036 million worth, and from January to November 2019 it bought
$52.857 million.
RICE China, the world’s largest rice producer, typically buys
small amounts of U.S. rice. Purchases peaked at $5.311 million in 2010. In
2017, they totalled $759,000 from January to November 2019, U.S. rice exports
to China have been worth just $165,000.
POULTRY China in November lifted a nearly five-year ban on U.S.
poultry that had been imposed in January 2015 because of a U.S. outbreak of
avian flu. The market bought $500 million worth of American poultry products in
2013.
WHEAT China is the world’s No. 2 wheat producer after the
European Union and holds roughly half of all global wheat inventories. In
recent years it has been the No. 3 or 4 buyer of U.S. hard red spring wheat, a
high-protein variety used to blend and improve the quality of lesser grades of wheat.
EQUIPMENT Some analysts had speculated that equipment might be
counted in an agriculture component of an eventual trade deal. Farm machinery
exports last year through October were a little over $200 million, according to
data from U.S. Census Bureau. Beijing’s biggest purchase in the past two
decades was in 2015 when it imported about $430 million of machines.
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